A Risk Worth Taking
by sweetsilent3
Summary: While Tony and Bruce are working into the more fine detials of the arc reactor, Tony calls in an old college friend. In comes Dr. Gentry, who decides a certain Bruce Banner is a risk worth taking. Bruce/OC


"Dr. Gentry has arrived, Sir" JARVIS said, breaking the silence in Tony's private lab.

Bruce looked up from his work, his glasses slipping down his nose.

"Excellent, send Gent down" Tony said, analyzing one of his old arc reactors.

"Whose Dr. Gentry?" Bruce asked, a hint of wary in his voice. He didn't know how this Gentry fellow would react to being in such close quarters with, well...him.

"An old college buddy, we go way back. Don't worry; she knows all about you."

Bruce coughed, his eyes widening. _She?_

"Still fiddling with that old thing are we?"

The two men turned to see Dr. Gentry standing in the doorway.

Bruce swallowed hard at the sight of her. She was a lot prettier than he had expected. The science field was the last place Bruce would expect to find the brunette beauty before them. Then again, Tony wouldn't of been caught dead with anyone less then 9 on the attractive scale.

"God Gent, could you be bothered to wear pants? I mean, the scrap of denim you're calling shorts is enough to give old Bruce here a heart attack"

Bruce made a sound between a scoff and a choke, looking down with pink tinted cheeks. When he cast a glance up at Dr. Gentry he noticed her blushing as well.

_At least she's not like Tony in personality._

"Well I apologize to you Dr. Banner, but bonehead over here didn't tell me we'd have company."

"Bonehead?" Tony scoffed, to which Dr. Gentry rolled her eyes.

She turned to Bruce, smiling smally. "Piper Gentry"

Bruce extended his hand to meet hers, shaking it long enough to appreciate her firm handshake and non-clammy palms.

"Bruce banner"

"So, what's Tony got you working on?" She asked, leaning over his desk, pushing a pair of small black rimmed glasses up her nose.

Bruce cleared his throat nervously, trying to refrain from staring at her form bent over his work.

"Here, let me show you"

* * *

Bruce was impressed. Piper had managed to keep up with everything he'd said, even surprising him with how indepth her knowledge went of the how the arc reactor worked.

"You see what i have to deal with on a regular basis Banner?" Tony groaned as Piper hit his head with another spit ball.

Bruce and Piper had stabilized the elements that Tony used to run his old arc reactor, testing to see if it would be able to maintain a human heart with the absence of shrapnel.

Now she was sprawled across one of the tables, spitting little wads of paper at her friend.

"You know you love me" Piper said, a lopsided smile on her features.

_That smile is so cute_ Bruce thought idly, a smile of his own appearing on his face.

Then he stopped, thinking about what had just crossed his mind.

No. No, no. A relationship with Piper, other than acquaintance, was totally and completely out of the question.

She was a beautiful, smart, funny, easy going girl. She didn't need a cancer in her life.

"Well Anthony" She started, sitting up.

"Yes, Piper-Marie?"

Piper blushed again, throwing her straw at him "Don't call me that, ass. I'm heading out" She said, gathering a few notebooks she had brought with her.

"Aw, C'mon Pipe. I was hoping you'd stay long enough to where I'd get to see you and Brucey over there make-out."

Both Bruce and Piper stared at the billionaire, wide-eyed.

"Tony!" She snapped, blushing furiously.

It wasn't as if she didn't find Dr. Banner attractive...he was extremely. Smart, witty, sweet, cute...The exact type of guy she'd go for. That she wanted to go for...but she knew why she couldn't.

The Hulk.

She was afraid, she wasn't stupid. But she also had confidence from the episode in New York last summer that Banner could control himself, to some extent.

And damnit all, she wasn't gonna walk out this door without at least giving it a shot.

"Dr. Banner?" She asked, looking over at him, biting her lip.

Bruce felt his heart give a lurch, but not in the Hulk way. More in the way that it used to whenever Betty was around...

_Oh shit_ he thought, trying to quell his heart.

Piper slipped a piece of paper in his hand, a series of numbers written in a the messy scrawl of a scientist.

"Call me sometime. I'd love to hear more of your theories"

Bruce looked down, stunned. He couldn't..could he? He wanted to. Hell yes did he want too..and looking into her eyes he could see that she knew the risks.

And yet she was still taking them..

"Of course, Dr. Gentry."

Smiling once more, she winked at him. "Please, Call me Piper"

_**An Avengers one shot because I**_**love**_** Bruce Banner. A Lot.**_

**_Hope you enjoyed it and for those who are reading The Inheritance Year, I'm sorry there hasn't been an update, but all these little ideas have been running through my head and choking out any idea for that story, so bear with me while I get theses little one-shots of out my head._**

**_Anyways, see you next time lovelies :)_**

**_-_S**


End file.
